[neilep (OP)]

Dearest Fruitologists,

How are ewe doing?..I'm Ok..my eye is a lot better today. Thanks for asking.


As a sheepy, I naturally love bananas....

Look, here's a rather fetching sassy model being quite come-hither !!

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But, unlike an apple, or a grape, or an orange there are no pips/seeds !!

So, say I want to grow a banana tree...what do I do ?...just whack the banana in the ground ?....Can ewe grow banana tree from a banana ?



I think I'll go wear my bandanna and eat a banana !!...chomp chomp !!


Hugs and shmsihes


mwah mwah mwah


neil
Consumer of Bananas
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[BenV]

_{...Warning - Incoming Pedantry - Warning - Incoming Pedantry - Warning - Incoming Pedantry - Warning - Incoming Pedantry...}

A banana plant is not actually a tree, as it has no woody stem.

_{...End of pedantry - End of pedantry - End of pedantry - End of pedantry - End of pedantry - End of pedantry - End of pedantry...}

[neilep (OP)]

I am indeed indebted to the above mentioned academic master.

ewe see, this is why I remain a lowly woolly four legged ruminant quadraped and will never reach such heights !  []

Lots of people call them trees though !

I reckon the banana tree will be the 'Pluto' of the tree world !

[Karen W.]

Wow..I did not know that either.....is it classified as a bush then or what?

[blakestyger]

The bananas bought in the shops are all sterile hybrids and will never produce a plant from seed. If you want to grow one you will either have to take a cutting from a plant you have access to or go and buy a plant from a nursery (they're called Musa). I've seen them for sale at the local Homebase. They are not hardy though so will only really thrive indoors.

[Karen W.]

The bananas bought in the shops are all sterile hybrids and will never produce a plant from seed. If you want to grow one you will either have to take a cutting from a plant you have access to or go and buy a plant from a nursery (they're called Musa). I've seen them for sale at the local Homebase. They are not hardy though so will only really thrive indoors.

 thats interesting....How tall would an indoor Banana plant, bush, or tree get? How much space does it need? 

[neilep (OP)]

The bananas bought in the shops are all sterile hybrids and will never produce a plant from seed. If you want to grow one you will either have to take a cutting from a plant you have access to or go and buy a plant from a nursery (they're called Musa). I've seen them for sale at the local Homebase. They are not hardy though so will only really thrive indoors.

Cool !!..thanks blakestyger ....so, do ewe know if it will bear fruit if grown indoors ?

So how does a banana plant reproduce in the wild  if it has no seeds and stuff ?

[JnA]

But, unlike an apple, or a grape, or an orange there are no pips/seeds !!

if'n you cut a banana lengthways you can see the seeds.. or at least.. you used to.

[...lets split up...]

Banana's used to have big seeds inside them, it's through selective breeding that humans have made what you find in the supermarkets today.

[BenV]

Wow..I did not know that either.....is it classified as a bush then or what?

It's a herb, actually.

[Don_1]

Banana plants are known to survive outdoors in the UK, but will rarely if ever bear fruit which can be consumed and will need protection from winter frost.

Look at this report from the RHS http://www.rhs.org.uk/Learning/Publications/pubs/garden0502/

There are many bananas grown in large greenhouses such as Kew and one just down the road from me at Hall Place, Bexley, which regularly bears fruit. http://www.hallplace.com/

[neilep (OP)]

But, unlike an apple, or a grape, or an orange there are no pips/seeds !!

if'n you cut a banana lengthways you can see the seeds.. or at least.. you used to.

Kewl !! thanks Jna


I will do that....I think I know what ewe mean !..ewe mean that line of blacky stuff eh ?

[neilep (OP)]

Banana's used to have big seeds inside them, it's through selective breeding that humans have made what you find in the supermarkets today.

Thanks ...lets split up great answer.... nasty humans always meddling with stuff !..next thing you'll be telling me are that cows don't exist in the wild !  []

[neilep (OP)]

Wow..I did not know that either.....is it classified as a bush then or what?

It's a herb, actually.

Thanks Ben

A herb ?


*sheepy goes to check his mixed herbs and ' herbs de provence' packets*

Hey !!...there is no banana in my herby places !

*sheepy attempts to sprinkle banana to make a herby omelet*...hmmmmmmm...delish !!.....hmm....sprinkles quite squishily !!!

[neilep (OP)]

Banana plants are known to survive outdoors in the UK, but will rarely if ever bear fruit which can be consumed and will need protection from winter frost.

Look at this report from the RHS http://www.rhs.org.uk/Learning/Publications/pubs/garden0502/

There are many bananas grown in large greenhouses such as Kew and one just down the road from me at Hall Place, Bexley, which regularly bears fruit. http://www.hallplace.com/

Thanks Don1...that's simply super !.....hallplace looks well nice !

Does this mean we can grow coconuts too ?..I've always wanted to empirically study what happens when you drop coconuts down your neighbours chimney !

[Earthling]

Bananas can be propagated using the suckers(babies). As banana grows the banana "babies" also grow besides the original plant.when you cut the stem of the mother plant this little ones will grow also.So, after planting a single banana you will find plenty of them growing later on. In the Philippines it takes about 7-8 months to plant and harvest bananas.You can also start bananas from the seeds but it will take a very long time and very hard to germinate. That is why local laboratories here utilize a tissue culture method. I have no technical know how on how to tissue culture a banana but it is being done here for our certain variety of banana. []

[Karen W.]

Wow..I did not know that either.....is it classified as a bush then or what?

It's a herb, actually.

An Herb.. very interesting.. I had no idea....Wait that does sound familiar... did Carolyn say that one time somewhere also?

Anyway.. Thanks Ben.. Glad to know that!

[Karen W.]

Bananas can be propagated using the suckers(babies). As banana grows the banana "babies" also grow besides the original plant.when you cut the stem of the mother plant this little ones will grow also.So, after planting a single banana you will find plenty of them growing later on. In the Philippines it takes about 7-8 months to plant and harvest bananas.You can also start bananas from the seeds but it will take a very long time and very hard to germinate. That is why local laboratories here utilize a tissue culture method. I have no technical know how on how to tissue culture a banana but it is being done here for our certain variety of banana. []

I wonder if I could do it here with a simple gelatin grow medium to do the tissue culture in.. I have done tissue culture with lilies but I suspect that the banana seeds are very small and most probably very fragile.. It would be a simple matter to try to set up a small sterile tissue culture booth with and ultraviolet light and a fan to keep out germs etc... I wonder if it would be possible with the seeds as tiny as they are in bananas they sell around here?